Change of Heart
by Varie Raven
Summary: Reformatted and better, chp 4 up! Hitomi returns after three years and Van will do everything in his power to make her his queen while Merle still loves him, and Allen is still affected by her absence
1. Problems on Earth

Disclaimer: I do not own Escaflowne in any form so don't try to attach it to me, I have enough problems as it is.

Chapter One: Problems on Earth

      _Has it been three years already, has it really been three years since I returned to Earth?_ Hitomi thought while lying on her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Hitomi's high school graduation was next week and none of it, none of the change, none of the apprehensiveness, none of this anxiety affected her... until now. She changed her position until she was seated and her knees were pressed up against her chest. Ever since Hitomi came back from Gæa, her impassive nature just took control. When all of the other graduating girls were all giggly and excited, Hitomi didn't really understand their elation. What was so great about moving onto another school? It'd just be high school all over again with just another group of people. She got up and walked to the full-length mirror in her room. Her appearance hasn't changed much since she left, well except that she let her hair grow about five or six inches longer than normal. She also lost the lanky little girl image. Now, she seemed to look more like a woman than a girl.

      Hitomi looked over on her closet where a lavender dress laid. The dress was diagonally strapped with a long bodice and skirt. After studying it for the hundredth time, she looked away and sighed. It was a bridesmaid's dress. Another event would be taking place next week, Yukari's wedding. She didn't know why it came as such a shock, but it did even though Amano and her were together since he returned from England. He left only to come back a few months later…to Yukari. She remembered when Yukari told her it would happen almost a year ago.

       The phone rang. _Do I really want to pick it up?_ Hitomi thought. She let it ring about six times before she finally decided the noise wasn't worth it. 

      "Hello?" she greeted in exasperation. 

      "Hitomi! Hitomi! Oh guess what?!" a screeching voice said on the other line.

      "What is it Yukari? You sound frantic," Hitomi asked, wondering what made her friend so uppity. 

      "No Hitomi, not frantic, excited! Amano proposed to me! Oh my god, I can't believe it!!" _I can't believe it either,_ Hitomi thought.

       "He w-w-what!!" 

      "We're to be married after our graduation, isn't this great?!" 

"Yeah Yukari, that's wonderful," she said, trying to make up some enthusiasm, even if it was fake, for her happy friend, but discovering that she couldn't. 

      "I have to make plans, so I'll call you back Hitomi, okay? Bye." 

      "Bye." 

      Yukari made such a big fuss about Hitomi being the maid of honor so she couldn't refuse(not that she had a choice), even though she dreaded the occasion. 

      "I- I thought I was really serious about Amano," Hitomi said out loud, "well I was..." Despite her efforts to hold them back, tears fell her eyes. 

      She heard the door creak and she looked up to see Amano standing there. 

      "And I was serious about you too Hitomi," he said softly, a small smile crept up on his face. 

      "Amano, what are you doing here?" Hitomi asked, frantically wiping her tears away.

      "Your mother let me in just a minute ago," he paused, looking down at his feet, "I wanted to talk to you about the wedding."

      "You know I don't want to talk about the wedding, what's there to talk about?" she glared at him. 

      "Yes, I know, but I just needed some closure." 

      "Closure! Closure! You want to talk to me about closure?" Hitomi outburst. She was aghast at the rashness of her answer and how loud she became.  Amano turned red and tried avoiding her gaze.

      "You know, it might've been Yukari in that dress instead," Amano said pointing to the dress on her closet. Hitomi couldn't believe how blunt he was being. Is he actually REGRETTING asking Yukari to marry him?

      _I don't need this now_, she thought, _why is he doing this?_

      "So is that what you came here to tell me? That it might've been me getting married to you?" she said tearfully, "why are you telling me this now?"

      Amano didn't answer her, instead he just sighed.

      "Why Amano? I want to know why! Please!…Please Amano, I can't take it anymore. I want you to leave," she lowered her voice to a whisper, in fear that her voice might break.

      "First you want answers and now you want me to leave. My…how fickle you are, but that's a common characteristic of yours, isn't it. Well I'm sorry, but I'm not leaving until I get somewhat of an answer from you, Hitomi," he put his hand on her shoulder. She stood up and jerked his hand away.

       "You can't get an answer from a question that you haven't even asked." Hitomi turned red at his remark, but she couldn't let him get the upper hand. She didn't want to be this cold, but she had to get the message through. She already ruined one wedding. 

      "Fine then," he sighed, "What happened three years ago Hitomi?" 

      "What are you talking about?" she asked, fearing this question since his arrival. 

      "Look Hitomi, I'm not here to play games, okay? Just answer me, you know exactly what I'm talking about. For once I want to know why…"

       "Okay, okay… I- I just couldn't be around you anymore." It wasn't a complete lie part of it was true. She was only withholding information. 

      "Is that it? Hitomi, we were just doing fine until that accident at the track course. For some reason you just well... CHANGED. You turned away from me like you didn't love me anymore."

      _Love?_ She thought, _was I that much in love? Or maybe…was HE that much in love?_

      "Amano, you had to go to England, I didn't want to get too close to you," she lied.

       "But I came back after a few months! You STILL chose to stay away. You seemed like you wanted me but your words said otherwise. That really hurt Hitomi, more than you think. I knew that wasn't it." 

      "It's going to be difficult to put this, but I just-I just..." Hitomi had a hard time making out her words.

      "Yes?" Amano's anticipation grew, this was the answer to the question he's been thinking about for three years, but what is it going to be?

      "I wasn't in love with you anymore, that's why," she finally spit out. There was an awkward silence after that. If this hurt Amano, you wouldn't be able to tell. His expression remained cold and impassive. "I couldn't say I was in love still because that would be living a lie. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I lied to you, that's all." Now he seemed a little angry.

      "After all this time Hitomi, you finally told me the truth. Now I know that the lie would've at least spared my feelings. I think I would've liked it even better," he said, trying not to show too much emotion and he strode out of the room. 

      Hitomi could stop the tears and just threw herself on the length of her bed. No matter what, she had always seemed to screw up somehow. It was inevitable; no matter what she did she couldn't avoid her failures. 

      _Why did I leave?_ she thought to herself. _Why did I leave, that's a stupid question, I left because... because of the turbulence. I couldn't handle it anymore. _

      A sigh escaped from her and she lifted herself into a seated position once again. There really wasn't a specific reason why she left, it was just she needed to be back on Earth she needed normalcy. Hitomi didn't think she could handle all the changes Gaea had to offer. 

            "Oh Van…" she said out loud, she missed him so much, but somehow, she felt emptiness when thinking about him. She didn't have any means of transportation over there; thinking about it was pointless. In the midst of her thinking, the phone rang. She went up to go get it, hoping it wasn't Amano.

      "Hello?" she said, trying to conceal the fact that she was crying. 

      "Hey, Hitomi, umm... I have a favor to ask," Hitomi recognized the voice instantly. Something was wrong though, she could just her it in the pitch of her friend's throat.

       "Yukari? What is it, you're upset," Hitomi asked, hoping it wasn't her fault…again.

      "I kind of am Hitomi, you see, Amano came home and looked sort of mad. When I asked him what was wrong, he told me to leave him alone. He just started acting so weird." 

      "Really? Oh Yukari, what's the favor?" Hitomi couldn't believe that what she said affected Yukari. She couldn't help but feel guilty. 

      "I want you to read my fortune, I want to know if this wedding is the right thing?" 

      A sudden flashback struck Hitomi.

      "I want you to tell me my fortune. I see that look on your face, and suddenly I'm not so sure anymore. So tell me, tell me my fortune."

       "Yukari, I you know I don't read fortunes anymore." 

      "C'mon Hitomi, this is really important to me, PLEASSSEEE!" 

      "Yukari, I don't know..." 

      "Okay, I'll be over in a minute!" she exclaimed and hung up the phone before Hitomi had the chance to respond. She put the phone down and walked over to her closet. 

      "Yukari has to learn when to take no for an answer," Hitomi said to herself as she opened the sliding closet door. She searched diligently for a box that she hadn't opened in three years. When she finally found it, Hitomi plopped herself on the floor and sighed. The last time she read a wedding fortune, the outcome wasn't too great. She didn't want the same thing that happened to Millerna happen to Yukari. This was Yukari's big moment, she was going to marry the guy she's had a crush on for years. 

       Yukari came busting through the door. 

      "Hello Hitomi!" she exclaimed. 

      "Hi Yukari," she said, not happy at all.

      "I'm sorry if I was rushing you, but I really need to know," Yukari said in a more serious tone. 

      "Don't worry about it Yukari. Let's just do it." Yukari nodded and sat down across Hitomi and awaited instructions. Hitomi laid out her cards in front of her in the Celtic cross. 

_      It's been a long time since I've done this, _she thought, _I wonder if I'll be as accurate as I once was. _After the process was complete, Hitomi scanned the cards to see what they were going to tell her. The cards didn't seem so bad, in fact, it pointed out to a very good marriage. That good fortune would change, however. Hitomi picked up another card and gasped. It was the infamous tower card.

      Suddenly a vision overtook Hitomi and she jerked her head back violently. 

      "Hitomi, Hitomi what's wrong?!" Yukari asked, but her words fell on deaf ears. 

      "Oh no," Hitomi said silently to herself. "Not again…" 

      The vision started with a million illuminating lights flashing into one another, the brightness was seizure inducing. It then focused on Yukari's wedding. She hasn't had any visions ever since she came back, so this seemed so new to her. 

      The wedding seemed to have been going okay except for one factor. Hitomi. She was the problem of everything. She saw Yukari and Amano kiss, then Millerna and Dryden and then Yukari and Amano. The images flashing before her was almost unbearable and it kept repeated until the aisle in Yukari's wedding had erupted in flames. 

      "Amano come back!!" screamed Yukari as he ran towards Hitomi who disappeared and then an arrow was shot through his heart. His blood spilt and he finally collapsed in a heap as he said, "Hitomi… but why?" 

      "Hitomi, what's wrong?" Yukari asked, bringing Hitomi back to Earth. 

      "Oh... Nothing, nothing at all," she replied looking over the cards again. "It says here that your marriage will go beautifully, you may encounter some problems, but they'll be easily solved if you compromise and don't lose sight of both your goals," Hitomi told her. 

      "Really!?" Yukari said, relieved. "Yes, but as a whole, your marriage will fail if you don't listen to each other, and I mean really listen to each other and you cannot refuse to believe what is the truth." 

      "I'll keep that in mind," she said happily then bid Hitomi goodbye and walked out of her room. 

             Hitomi organized her cards together again and for some reason, could not put them away again. 

      "I feel as if I need them, to guide me," Hitomi said, "but I don't want to be the cause of bad futures, not again. Fortunes are just bad news, why get involved in all that again?" 

      Of course their marriage would go fine, as long as Hitomi didn't attend the wedding or be apart of their lives, for that matter. _If I attend the wedding, the entire ceremony would be ruined. I couldn't do that to Yukari. If I continue to stay in their lives, then their marriage will fail. Where would I go? I couldn't even choose a proper college and now I have to leave to preserve my friends' happiness? What am I supposed to do?_ she thought. She purposely didn't mention love to Yukari because it seemed that it would be one-sided at times and Hitomi knew why.

      It never occurred to her that she would actually leave the home that she's grown up in. Hitomi was getting anxious, she never planned this; it wasn't supposed to happen. She let out an exasperated sigh and cried out, "I can't stay here, where am I supposed to go!!!" 

      Suddenly her tarot cards flew up in the air and swirled around her body. "W-what's happening?" she gasped and one card, only one card landed at her feet while the others were still in the air. It was the card of the dragon. "E-Escaflowne?" she whispered. "Am I going back, but why?" she asked before disappearing in a beam of light.


	2. Problems on Gaea

Chapter 2: Problems on Gaea

      Merle walked through the desolate hallways of the newly rebuilt Fanelian castle. A lot has happened since Hitomi left this world, some for better, and some for worse. Although Fanelia has now begun to forget the horrible destruction it once knew and prosper once again, one could not say that about the king. 

      King Van Slanzar de Fanel could never forget the attack, or what the madness brought about. Mostly; however, he couldn't ever forget about that girl who descended with him from the Mystic Moon. Thinking of Hitomi pained Van and it hurt Merle to witness his bouts of depression.

      Merle had become a very mature sixteen year-old and one of Van's closest companions. He nearly entrusted her with his life, but there were still many things he kept from her.

      _Oh, I wish I could do something to make Van happy again,_ she thought, _Damnit Hitomi why did you leave?! I wish you would come back and make him happy again. _Merle sighed wistfully and continued to walk among the empty passageways. Of course Merle knew from the very beginning that she couldn't have Van, but that still didn't stop her from dreaming. She refused to compete with Hitomi, not after they became friends. If Hitomi had not come here, there's a giant possibility that everyone on Gaea would've perished. She should be thankful, not resentful. Merle knew that the only way that Van could ever be happy again was that if his love came back to him.

      Suddenly, Merle heard faint voices come from the throne room and decided to see what was going on. Using her stealth-like walking ability, she hid behind the open doorway to witness the conversation.

      "King Van, it's time that you chose a queen to sit with you on the throne and we have come up with many choices for you to..."

      "Enough," Van said assertively, "I will choose a queen when I feel the time is right. Right now is not the day, tomorrow is not looking good either, or any time in the near future."

      "But-" the advisor tried to explain.

      "No, you heard me, I will not," he interjected.

      "Of course we won't force you," one of the other advisors stated, "It's just that it's been a long time since you've been happy King Van. Your people want to see you happy and settle down with a nice girl and perhaps have some children."

      "So you're saying that getting married to a woman I don't love is going to make me happy?" he raised an eyebrow.

      "King Van, if I may, do you have to be cynical about things, all we're trying to do is see that you're are happy. A happy kings equals a happy kingdom and people."

      "The way I see it, all you're trying to do is see that I produce an heir to the throne. The only thing that bothers the people is the security of the Fanel dynasty sitting on the throne, not my personal happiness. Well, I'm sorry but things don't work out like that in my book. Now I want you to leave," he raised his voice.

      "But your majesty-" one pleaded, but was shunned.

      "Leave I said!" he exclaimed and the advisors left the room.

      "Why doesn't he see that we just want to see him happy for once?" Merle heard one of them as they retreated down the hallway.

      "Merle, you can come out now," Van said and startled Merle.

      "How did you know I was there?" she came out behind the door.

      "Merle, what kind of friend would I be for not noticing your entrance? I know you and even if other people can't see you, I can." She laughed nervously.

      "Those fools, why can't they understand that I'm not interested in arranged betrothals?"

      "Well, they're just trying to help," Merle started, "they're just not going about it the right way." Van chuckled.

      "And what do you suppose is the right way?" he asked.

      "...To find a way to bring Hitomi back, it's the only way."

      "Look Merle-" Van couldn't believe she was bringing this up yet again.

      "No Van, you keep denying it, but I know that you still love her!! DON'T RUN AWAY FROM IT, YOU HAVE TO-" Merle didn't even get to finish her sentence, Van left the room.

"Oh Van…" she sighed before she left the room in defeat. 

(Meanwhile, In Asturia)

Allen had given up living near the large cities near the palace. They had brought too many harsh memories for him. No matter what he did, this was one battle he couldn't win. Deciding to take off, Allen was living in a cabin that was located within the Asturian forest (the place where he met Hitomi for the first time). It seemed that after Hitomi left, everything in his life seemed to fall apart. For the first couple of months, things seemed to be going fine, but then, everything took a pitfall for the worse. 

      Allen had dedicated much of his life brooding over his sister, and when he found her again, he was purely blissful. Nothing made him happier than to see his sister enjoying her life. However, her health didn't look too well and she collapsed one day. Of course Allen and all of the other knights called a healer to see what was wrong. Allen remembered that day like it was just yesterday. The memory kept repeating itself in his mind over and over again, like a broken record.

Flashback

      "Celina! Celina are you all right!!" Allen rushed over to his sister who had collapsed on the floor. 

      "Gaddes call a healer quickly!!"

      "Yes sir!" he answered and rushed out. 

      Celina lived with the princesses in the palace, becoming one a Millerna's best friends and she was being taught to be one of society's upstanding courtiers. A refined lady, she was going to be apart of the royal house. These plans would be soon diminished. Every month, she would come to live her brother in the castle for a week. They treasured each moment and all of them would soon be all Allen would ever have.

      Once the healer arrived, he performed all kinds of tests on her, trying to find out exactly what was wrong with her. The words he would say next, forever remained in Allen's being as the most horrifying statement anyone has ever given him.

      "I'm sorry Sir Allen, but her body is much too weak. All of the experiments done on her in the past have nearly emaciated her entire immune system. It's quite a miracle she's lived this long, my apologies, but she has three months to live at the most."

      "W-what!? No, it can't be! I just get her back and now she's being taken away from me! No I won't let it happen, it will not happen!"

      "I'm afraid it will, her body can only take so much. Even the strain of a small common sickness overpowers her immune system; eventually it will just give up and die. Denying this will just prolong and agonize the inevitable. This is all I can do for her."

      Allen refused to believe the words of this medic, so he decided to gather the best healers in the world to get a second opinion, or third or fourth or fifth. Each and every one of them said the same thing: Celina was going to die.

About a month into her "sentence" Celina made a decision that she didn't want to be examined anymore.

      "So you're saying you want to give up, we can't Celina, we can't!"

      "Brother, I know it's hard for you, but I can't fight anymore. I don't want to fight anymore! Please understand I want to spend my last days in peace. I'd like to share them with you Allen. Please grant me that one wish." Allen couldn't believe what he was hearing, but in his heart, he had accepted his sister's cruel fate.

      "Of course Celina, anything you want," he promised as he put her hand on his cheek.

      "Thank you, I love you Allen and thank you for being my family," she said before the tremors of fatigue took over her. Sadly, Celina would not be able to do what Allen promised her. She never woke up from that sleep. Those words...were her last.

End Flashback

      After she died, many tried to console him, but none succeeded. He chose to live in isolation, only going to the main city for sword duels and meetings to retain his place as a knight of Caley. No one has defeated Allen for his place and rarely anyone even tried. Allen was the best swordsman in all of Gaea. Balgus had previously held that title, but his death left room for Allen on the "pedestal". 

      Ever since Celina's death, Allen has been drowning his sorrows in the local harlotry in town. He could never bring himself to love another woman or give any love to the female race. All they did was cause pain and suffering. The concubines he picked up on a regular basis were paid very well and each knew they wouldn't be needed for more than one night. Some were even lucky they got to stay the whole night. One of the things he ever truly cared about brought the most pain in his life, first there was Marlene's death, then Millerna's betrothal, Hitomi's farewell, and finally his sister's death. Of course he loved his sister in a different way than the other three, but her death was just as painful. 

      However, one big problem remained, Allen WAS still in love. As much as he would like to just brush it all away, he couldn't shake the feeling left in his heart. It tore at it piece by piece each day she was gone. Allen stood up and knocked the bottle of wine off the table.

      "I don't love her anymore!!" he screamed blankly and slumped back in the chair. No amount of screaming was going to change the way he felt and he knew that. She was the only woman ever to refuse him, the only one who didn't fall into his arms at his beck and call. Allen used to love the attention he received from woman; it was just that this one was different. He felt like she was more his equal.

      _Well no use thinking about it now,_ he thought to himself, _She's gone for good and there's no way she's coming back. What was so special about her anyway? What am I kidding; I'm only fooling myself._ Even if she were to come back, she would go to King Van and love him, not Allen. Perhaps a big factor in his desire for her was the fact that he couldn't have her….

(In the Palace of Asturia)

      "Princess Millerna, I send my apologies, but I'm afraid he won't make it through the night," the healer came out of her father's room and delivered the bad news.

      "Oh- oh my," Millerna felt the hot tears stinging her eyes. The medic left and she just collapsed onto a chair.

      _This can't be happening, _she thought. Her father had been sick for quite awhile now, ever since the war three years ago and he hasn't recovered at all. Now, the worst had taken its toll and would soon take his life. Millerna scoffed, _and there was actually a time when I would've actually given up my father to a man I once loved._

      She had loved Allen for a time, even after she was separated from Dryden, but in her heart she also knew that her and Allen could never be. Millerna had felt so sorry for the loss of his sister. After Allen had finally found what seemed like true happiness, he was robbed from it. He often thought it was a punishment for his affairs with women.  

      Celina had become one of Millerna's best friends and was horrified with the news of her demise. It seemed that many things around her revolved around death. It wasn't exactly a pleasant aspect, but her people were finally beginning to forget the horrible war. Soon, Asturia would know peace and what it was like to sleep in their own beds without fear of being attacked. 

The news of her father would upset them, however. They now have no king and Eries refused to take a husband, She swore off love and decided to become the first high priestess in the Aston dynasty. Eries figure she would be able to help more people this way, leaving Millerna to take the responsibility of the throne. She just didn't know what to do. Suddenly, she heard a knock at the door.

"Millerna?" she heard.

"Who is it?"

"Eries, please let me come in."

"Fine, the door's unlocked." Eries walked in to see her grief-stricken sister.

"I assume you heard about Father," Millerna stated.

"Yes, and I've come to discuss the situation with you."

"Why, Father's dead and we need a ruler. Unless you can find a new king, a discussion would be idle."

"That's why I've come here, it's about the new King," Eries justified.

"Really," Millerna said skeptically, "Well then, who is going to take his place." Eries took a deep breath.

"Lord Dryden." Millerna almost fell to the floor.

"Why is Dryden going to be King?" 

"Do you remember when you two separated?"

"What? Of course I do, what kind of question is that?!"

"Anyway, you may've separated on your own terms, but you never had a legal divorce, therefore, you are still married to him." Millerna couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was still married to Dryden? The separation wasn't legal? It couldn't be, she was told it was. Dryden told her that he would take care of all the legal matters. There definitely something wrong with this picture.

"A message was sent to him and he will be here tomorrow morning, that will be all princess. Please prepare for his arrival. Our new king should be welcomed properly." Eries left the room, leaving Millerna shocked. Everyone had just dropped a bombshell on her, first her father's death and now Dryden's arrival. This was just too much! 

Millerna hadn't seen Dryden in three years. He promised to come back when he'd become the man she deserved. That didn't seem right. Perhaps Millerna was the one who didn't deserve him. He was the one who loved her, while Millerna was still hooked to Allen. Even though she was faithful physically, she couldn't say that about her mind. In her own eyes, she really didn't make a fitting wife at all.

      _Well, it'll be different this time; I'll try to be better than I was. I owe it to him,_ she thought while she made her way down the hallway to her room. Once she was behind closed doors, Millerna turned to her vanity table and opened a compartment under her mirror. Inside held a small crystal box that she opened very carefully. It contained both her and Dryden's wedding rings.

      _All my life, I've always wanted people to make me happy. It's about time I start doing that. I can't expect people to make me happy if I don't do the same. I'll start with Asturia's people and then...maybe Dryden._ She stared at the pair of rings and couldn't help but cry. Not knowing the exact reason why she was doing this only made her cry harder. Why is it that everything has to happen at the same time? Nothing ever comes along piece by piece; it all comes down at you like a bucket of water as opposed to drops of rain.


	3. His Arrival

Chapter 3: His Arrival

      Hitomi woke from her slumber and discovered that she was not on her bed, but rather in a lush forest somewhere.

      "What happened? Where am I?" she asked herself while she rubbed the back of her head. To her surprise, she felt something warm and sticky. When she brought her hand in front of her face to scan it, she realized that it was covered in blood. 

      _I must've hit my head on something,_ she thought. She looked around once again and a wave of deja vu hit her. _This looks like the forest I landed in after the attack on Fanelia. _Hitomi looked over to her right and saw that small lake that she saw three years before. Allen had come in from that lake to "save" her from that thief.  She stood up, but a flash of dizziness struck her and she just plopped right back down on the ground. 

      _I probably just got up too fast;_ she thought and attempted to stand up again. However, the dizziness overwhelmed her and she just collapsed, making a giant cracking noise from pounding onto the underbrush.  While she was still conscious, she felt the liquid substance trickle down her neck. _Wow, I must've hit my head a little too hard, _she thought before slipping out of reality.

Allen sliced away at the tree next to his cabin. It was nightfall, but he still felt the need to practice. He had let his skills waver and that was not good. He needed to get his swordsmanship up to caliber. Allen leapt up in the air, spun and let his sword rip through the branch of the tree. He landed, sheathed his sword and saw the branch crash upon the ground. __

_      I guess I didn't let my skills waver too badly,_ he thought with a small smile. With the way things were going lately, he was surprised that he was still a part of the Knights of Caley. _I wonder if they're looking for a replacement yet... if I don't go back soon, I'll lose my place permanently. _

      Just that morning, Allen got a letter from an emergency messenger from the palace of Asturia. Hoping nothing was wrong; he opened it frantically to gaze at its contents.

The letter was full of bad news indeed. King Aston just died from a chronic illness, its cause probably from the stress of the war, and now Dryden was coming from his merchant convoy to become king of Asturia. It was ridiculous. 

      _He and Millerna are still married?_ Allen had previously questioned, _I thought they separated years ago. _Even so, wouldn't Dryden only become the Prince Consort? Why is he becoming king? 

      Allen laughed slightly, things were definitely going to be different, but that meant he would soon have to go back to the palace for the coronation of the new king. He hoped that the people wouldn't try to be sympathetic and pity him. That was the last thing he ever wanted. 

      Before Allen could think anymore, he heard a rumbling in the bushes nearby. On instinct he drew his sword and looked around. If there were an enemy nearby, he wouldn't let it get the best of him. This forest had a reputation for housing some of the worst low-life bandits. He had experienced that first hand, when they made the big mistake of trying to rob him. He taught them a lesson, yes he taught them a great lesson in deed. 

      Allen walked stealthily around the area, searching for a possible threat. He made his way to the bushes and looked around, with sword in hand of course. Finally, convinced, that it must've been some kind of animal scurrying away. He put his sword back into its sheath. 

      _The noise seemed too loud to be made by a small animal, but there's no one around,_ he thought. Just when he was about to turn back, he tripped over something large and tumbled to the floor.

      "What the-" he said out loud and looked to his side. There was a girl next to him, with light brown hair up down to her shoulders. However, there was blood protruding from the back of her head and she must've been unconscious. He walked over to her and wondered if a bandit tried attacking her. 

      _What kind of man would attack a defenseless girl?_ he asked himself. His selfless nature came in and for a moment, it seemed that all he wanted to do was to take care of this girl. Then again, what was a girl like her doing out in the forest at this hour? 

      _I swear women do the craziest things to get a man's attention,_ he thought. He pitied whom she belonged to because this one seemed like quite the trouble. It would be ungentlemanly of him to just leave her there, especially since she was bleeding and could die. 

      Allen observed the girl more closely and realized that her clothes were not the normal commoner's apparel. In fact, she was wearing a black skirt that seemed to run down to her knees and a thickly strapped brown shirt. Could she be one of the town's harlots? No. Even they dressed more provocatively than that. Yes, she was very strange looking indeed.

      Allen walked over to her and picked her up. A flashback suddenly weaved its way through his mind when he remembered that it was in this forest that he met Hitomi for the first time. She fainted in his arms and it was funny to recall not knowing what was going to happen as a result of that encounter. He looked over the girl's face and he almost dropped her. She had an amazing resemblance to Hitomi it was uncanny. 

      _This can't be her…_ he thought, _She went back years ago. Her hair was shorter than this, and this girl seems taller and more womanly, but it's been three years, could she have changed so drastically?_  He let his thoughts wander and he cursed himself for it before it got to anything potentially sexually oriented.

      _This is no time to be thinking like this. I might as well house her up for the night and send her on her way tomorrow,_ he thought and carried her to his cabin. Once he got inside, he put the girl on his bed and the sword in the corner next to it. He sat in a wooden chair and just gazed at the girl. It was indeed remarkable how she looked like Hitomi it probably was her. He just didn't want to give his hopes up if she was just an ordinary citizen attacked in the middle of the night. Even if she were Hitomi, it would only be right if he returned her to Fanelia, to Van. It's not that he wanted to; it was just that it was chivalrous. 

      _I'll think about this later,_ was his last thought before he drifted off to sleep.

(Fanelia)

      King Van was sitting in the throne room speaking with Merle about something, not that this was out of the norm. 

      "Yes, I've just received a message that King Aston died," Merle almost shrieked. Van widened his eyes in surprise and then sighed.

      "He's been sick for a while, at least now he won't have to suffer," he said. "Who's going to rule Asturia now? Is Princess Millerna going to become queen?"

      "Actually no she's not," Merle replied. 

      "Why? They have no male heirs and Princess Eries decided to become a priestess, I don't understand," he said, running his hand through his hair.

      "Dryden's going to become king," Merle revealed. Now, Van was dumbfounded.

      "Dryden? Wait a minute, why is he becoming king, didn't he divorce Princess Millerna?"

      "Actually, they separated but there was no legal divorce. In a legitimacy, Dryden's going to be crowned," Merle explained.

      "Was this some kind of plot of his, so he could still be king even though his marriage failed? No, that can't be it, he doesn't seem like the kind of person that would do that. Sure he was all about money but he's the one that left Millerna," Van was talking more to himself than he was to Merle. She sighed as she looked at him completely absorbed in thought. At least he wasn't depressed.

      "Ahem... anyway," she coughed to regain his attention, "There's going to be a royal coronation, tomorrow along with a banquet and etc. This is also an invitation for you to be there." The king slumped in his chair and let out and exasperated sigh.

      "You know that I have no wish to attend those sort of things," he said with a sarcastic smile.

      "Yeah, I know, but it'll seem kind of rude if you just don't show up. I mean-"

      "When I was crowned, everyone in Fanelia was there, but no one from other kingdoms. I don't see why this is necessary," he interrupted. Anger was evident on Merle's face. Van wasn't ever this impertinent and rude before. Why did he decide to do it now? He's just looking for an excuse to brood around the kingdom more and to torture himself in his own misery. What a masochist.

      "Look Van!" Merle raised her voice, "You don't have to go around and dismiss every damn invitation to something! It would be a nice thing to show up and at least show your support. Come on, Dryden comes from a family of merchants not royalty. Imagine what a hard time he's going to go through to actually rule decently. You come from a royal family and you have people to look up to, he doesn't." Van was surprised at this sudden outburst. What on Gaea actually possessed her to say that? It WAS part of her character, but she's kept it low-key for a while.

      "Oh, and another thing!" she continued, "Aren't you his friend? Didn't he save your life and in turn, you for the Asturian front? You were allies and friends. What happened to all that? Did you just throw it all away as soon as Hitomi left?"

      Van stared at her wide-eyed. The fact that she was right hurt him. He had thrown it all away, but he shouldn't have. Dryden was his friend, and he still is. Hitomi shouldn't be an excuse just to dismiss him away as if he were nothing. Merle stayed silent, she knew she probably shouldn't have mention her, but she did and there was nothing she could do about it now. All she was capable of doing now was to prepare to chase after Van after he left the room. 

      "I'm sorry Merle," he said, relaxing his tone of voice. Merle's ears twitched. He just said he was sorry? She looked at him and he had a small smile on his face.

      "I guess I really haven't been much of a ruler, or a friend for that matter, but I'm going to try harder. It might take a little while, but I'll try," he said in the sincerest way possible. Tears formed in Merle's eyes. Was he really going to change and be happy again? Just hearing him say so made her happy. 

      "Oh Van!" she cried happily and ran up and gave him a hug. "It's about time, the mood in the castle was just getting unbearable with you sad, you know!" Van smiled, she was still just like a kid sometimes. It was better this way. Seeing her somber made things seem too different. In the midst of this happy "occasion", someone stepped in and made his presence known.

      "Ahem, excuse me your highness," he said. Van looked up and Merle backed off as if he was on fire.

      "Yes what is it Guisarme?" he asked.      

      "The rest of the advisors and I would like to speak with you. It's very important," he said, his tone of voice wavering by seeing the annoyed looks on his face.

      "Okay, I'll be there in a minute, just go on ahead," he replied in a more calming disposition. Guisarme left the room and Van turned to Merle.

      "Meet me in the courtyard in an hour so we can discuss our arrival to Asturia," he said almost winking at her. She planted a huge grin on her face and waved him goodbye. 

      _Maybe this way, he'll realize that he has to bring Hitomi back,_ she thought and skipped down the hallway.

(Asturia)

      "Princess Millerna, have you made the necessary preparations for Lord Dryden's arrival?" a servant asked. She sighed and the day's exhaustion was apparent on her face.

      "Yes, everything's done and all that needed to be planned was planned, so now, I am going to sleep. He's arriving tomorrow, right?" she asked put her hand on her head.

      "Yes, we expect him here tomorrow morning and the coronation will be that evening," she answered. Before Millerna could reply, a voice boomed down the hallway.

      "Everything went incredibly well, so I guess I'm here just a little early," he said. Millerna's body seemed to react to the voice and it stiffened in alert. She turned abruptly to see Dryden but ten feet away from her. Her shock was evident as she widened her eyes.

      "D-D-Dryden?" she asked. His familiar arrogant smile shined on his face, obviously pleased.

      "I see that you haven't completely forgotten about me, I can't say how happy that makes me," he laughed, "Well, I guess I should explain why I'm here so early. My convoy sailed without failure and the weather was in our favor. What can I say; I guess the gods wanted me here sooner. Maybe, they answered a prayer from somebody," he suggested while taking Millerna's hand and kissing it. Millerna wasn't the least bit surprised at his impertinence.

      "Well Dryden it seems that you haven't changed, just as forward as usual," she said, not able to hide the redness of her face. He laughed and ran his hand through his hair.

      "What's the matter Princess, you don't seemed too pleased with me being here, did I do something wrong?" he asked. 

      "No, no it's just that I'm a little...surprised, that's all," she said. "I didn't expect you here till tomorrow morning."

      "Well if sleeping arrangements are a problem, I'll sleep in my convoy. It won't be so bad, after all I slept there countless of times," he smiled.

      "No, I'm sure we'll find you a room," she defended with a nervous smile. 

      _Hmmm, maybe I'll actually sleep in my wife's room, with my wife,_ he thought and laughed to himself. Millerna didn't know what to do. This was a very awkward situation for her, what was she supposed to say? What of their marriage? She wished she could go to sleep and worry about it in the morning but it didn't look as if Dryden had the intention of waiting till morning.

      "Dryden?" she started, "What about-" she was interrupted by his hand as he put it up. He sensed her uneasiness and knew what was the problem. I guess he thought that he should lay down the plan to her.

      "I know, our marriage right?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers. "Well, I guess it's been kind of confusing with the illegitimacy of our divorce." The next part he had to say was probably the most difficult thing he'll ever have to do in a lifetime. He didn't know whether or not he could speak the words. It would be the biggest lie he ever told and that's a lot to say about a merchant. "I-" he paused, "I say our marriage should be in name only," he finally said.

      Millerna froze, a name-only marriage? Was that what he wanted? Was she not good enough a wife to be a real one?

      "Our marriage was never consummated so I don't see how it'll be difficult to pull off. Besides, we don't love each other so what's the point?" The remark slapped Millerna. Her eyes burned with new tears. I guess all of her efforts were going to be in vain. He really didn't love her after all.

      "I d-don't know w-what to say," her voice faltered.

      "Don't say anything, that'll be our little agreement, okay," he smiled. Before Millerna could protest, he was already down the hall, heading towards his convoy. Tears sprang in her eyes and she wondered if she's ever been hurt so bad like this before. She broke off in a run until she reached her room and threw herself on the bed to cry herself to her much needed sleep.


	4. Angel

Chapter 4: Angel

      Hitomi's vision blurred as she opened her eyes. Where was she, in some kind of wooden house? The candlelight flickered causing the shadows to dance around wildly.  The last that she remembered was passing out in the forest. Panic filled her when she remembered why she had passed out. Her hand darted to the back of her head and she felt the smooth surface of a bandage. Whoever brought her here took care of her head wound. 

      Once her vision was more focused, she looked around the room. There was a sword at the side of her bed. She was in a male's house. No female on Gaea wielded a sword. She looked up and saw a chair, with a man dozing off in it. He had given her the bed while he slept in the chair. This was no ordinary man. Whoever brought her here was obviously compassionate and kind, judging by his actions. She looked at the man more closely and his long blonde hair stood out. Only one person Hitomi knew had gorgeous hair like that...along with a gorgeous face too.

      _Is that Allen? _she asked herself. It had to be, the Amano look-alike hadn't changed a bit. He was still the handsome warrior that made her weak in the knees. 

      _Stop thinking like that! You love Van remember? Allen's just like Amano…just a silly crush mistaken for love, _Hitomi thought and a second voice rang inside her head, _Oh yeah, if it was just a silly crush then why did it hurt so bad when Amano fell in love with someone and why are you letting thoughts of Allen making you weak again?_ Hitomi let out a grunt of frustration as her mind got the best of her. Without realizing it, her grunt had awakened the sleeping angel.

      "Scared huh? Well I'd be if I were you," he said and Hitomi's attention jetted to the blonde. 

      "A-A-Al-" she tried to say, but before she could even say his name, the cold look on his face stopped her. There was something wrong with Allen, he wasn't as amiable as he once was. She knew it was stupid to assume such a thing just from a look she received from him, but she had a strong feeling about this one.

      "What's a girl like you doing out in the woods in the middle of the night?" he asked, his sexy voice flowing through her ears like sand. He still sounded the same.

      _A girl like me? What's he talking about? Doesn't he know it's me? I'm Hitomi, the girl you met and proposed to three years ago. Did you forget all that? Did you forget everything? _A million questions raced through Hitomi's head, but she didn't voice any of them out of fear. Allen had changed and she didn't want to invoke any newfound anger in him.

      "Why do you women go out and do stupid things like that? Do you really want attention that much that you'd run away and make the people that care about you, worry? That's awfully selfish of you and not to mention cruel. Do you realize that you could have died if I didn't find you? You're lucky and I hope you take the time to learn from this experience that you shouldn't run away to get attention. If you really want to find out who your true friends are and who really loves you, then you should just ask them yourself and give your love in return. For all you know, everything could be taken away from you," he explained. 

Hitomi didn't know what to say. Why was Allen acting like this? He couldn't be described as angry, but rather depressed. What happened to him? She wished she could find the words to console him, but there were none. If she didn't know what happened, what could she say? For all she knew, she might just make matters worse.

"What? Can't find anything to say?" Allen asked, changing his tone of voice. His voice became deeper and Hitomi's breath quickened. How was she to say anything?

"I see you find me appealing, I knew you had the look of a harlot on your face. I should've known. I see women of your profession all the time, although, I have to admit, I haven't encountered one in the woods before. Usually I'll go to town and pick them up. Why were you injured? Did your employer hurt you? Did you not give him his fair share of the cut?" Allen spoke resentfully and then got up from his chair. He walked slowly over to Hitomi and her breath caught in her throat. How was she to talk now? 

_How could Allen think something like that of me? I'm not a whore, I've never even… _Hitomi didn't get to finish her thought because Allen was now centimeters away from her. She could feel his hot breath against her face. Hitomi was absolutely frozen. What was this beautiful man going to do with her? It didn't matter what he did though, she was powerless to stop him.

"You women are so unfair, always trying to cheat men. Is that your main objective in life, just to see how you can make men go crazy? No more, it's about time I teach you ladies a lesson," he said with hatred dripping from his voice. Hitomi wanted to cry, but never had the chance to. Allen grabbed the sides of her head and pulled her into an unforgiving kiss.  

      _What's he doing? His kiss is so cold and bitter, not like the one I remember,_ she thought, her eyes still wide open. _I have to find a way to push him away, there's no way I'm stronger than he is._ Even with the knowledge that she couldn't possibly push him away, put her hands on his chest to try, however, it seemed that it only fueled the fire. As if he could read her mind, he grasped her wrists, immobilizing her. Suddenly, Allen broke the kiss. The look on his face hadn't change, if anything it seemed he was more determined than before.

      "Trying to get away are we? Trying to escape the inevitable, my dear? Are you going to discard me too? You'd be surprised, I'm not as easily forgotten as you might think," he said with a sardonic smile. Hitomi didn't know what to do; all of her initiative to pull away had diminished.

      "Don't worry, I'll make sure you never forget what you learned here in the 'House of Allen', ha ha ha ha ha…" he chuckled softly.

      _I think he really has gone mad, _Hitomi thought, _I have to speak up now!_ Too bad her thoughts were intercepted once again by this angel of Gaea. He moved in on her, parting her lips with his tongue. She moaned involuntarily at the intrusion, which seemed to encourage Allen more.

      _This feels so good…_ she thought, feeling a little lightheaded,_ I still have to stop him. It's so wrong… but I never felt so right…_ Her body was betraying her conscience and Hitomi knew what she had to do. Allen loosened his grip on her as he became more forceful in his kiss, allowing Hitomi to slip her arm away. She tried to grope for the sword she spotted at her bedside previously. When she felt it, she grabbed it and with all her strength, she shoved Allen off with the aid of the sword. 

      He stumbled backwards and looked up at Hitomi with rage in his eyes. There was a cut on his face from the sword, nothing serious but it was still there. Allen was angry. No woman had even dared to think about doing something like this to him. No woman had ever denied him of what he wanted. They all had succumbed to his will, how were they able to resist his beguiling charm or masculine fervor? This one did and she now held his sword. It seemed that Allen was under some kind of trance that even he could not explain. Something about this situation, this woman had made him want her so badly, but she was denying him of his need.

      "What will you do with that sword young lady? Are you going to hurt your tutor? I was only trying to show you what kind of trouble your antics would get you in. Are you going to punish me for forewarning you? Why that's awfully vindictive of you I must say," he said, his anger now portraying itself in his sadistic smile. He didn't know what came over him, but the words had just slipped out of his mouth. He was going to say something else equally spiteful, but he was stopped by her voice. It **_was _**her; it was the woman who had initially begun to deny him. He had known this in the recesses of his mind, but he paid no heed to them.

      "Allen," she began, "I don't know what's happened to you in the past three years, but it must've been something in order for you to turn around and act like this." Her voice faltered but she was determined to get this out just the same.

      "You used to be an upstanding gentleman, who stood for chivalry and kindness. I don't know who you are, but I want the old Allen back, the Allen I once knew, the Allen that saved me life countless time, the Allen I…" she didn't finish her sentence. Instead, she lifted the sharp edge of the sword and grabbed her hair with her other hand. She let the sword severe quantities of her hair and all the while still looking at Allen who just concentrated on her. Hitomi hadn't cut her hair since she got back to Earth, but she figured now was a good time.

      Allen felt the tears well up in his eyes, but did not let them fall. How could he have done such a thing to her? What the hell had possessed him to believe that she was a woman given to indiscriminate lewdness? When Hitomi finished slicing her hair off, she put down the sword.

      "Do you recognize me now Allen?" she asked, "It's me…Hitomi." Allen's eyes had begun to twitch as the initial shock became overwhelming. He was a monster to do such things. There Hitomi was right in front of him and instead of greeting her pleasantly like a true friend, he abused her, like he abused all of the other women prone to harlotry. What has he done? Shrinking back in disgust, Allen fell to his knees and wept.

      Hitomi hadn't expected for him to break down like that, but there was something seriously wrong with Allen. She walked closer to him and when he didn't protest, she knelt down next to him. He sobbed uncontrollably.

      "Allen, Allen please…it's okay, just please tell me what's wrong. You didn't hurt me I'm okay. Come on Allen," she tried to console. She put her arms around him and cradled him as he cried. 

      "Trust me Allen, I'm not hurt and whatever you did, I forgive you because you're my friend and friends will stay friends no matter what," she said in a soft tone. He looked up at her when he slowly ceased weeping and she smiled tenderly. He smiled back, hoping she really meant what she said. Allen glanced at her wrists and noticed that one area started to bruise from when he gripped them. He felt like he was going shed tears again because he knew that he really had hurt her. Hitomi was so forgiving. What Allen did was so brutal and yet she was there hugging him, making him feel better when it was him who should be doing this to her. She truly was an amazing person.

      "Thank you Hitomi," he said, his voice low and soothing.

      "Allen, trust me, it's okay. I want you to do one thing for me though," she replied.

      "What is it, I'll do anything to redeem myself," he said looking in her eyes.

      "I want you to tell me what happened to you. I know what you did back there wasn't the real you and I want to know what happened to make this so," she said. "That's all I ask is an explanation."

      _She's right; she does deserve an explanation for my cruel and severe actions. I don't know if I'll be able to tell her everything. I'm not ready to be hurt by her again. Does she even know how much pain she caused me by going back and refusing my declaration of love for her? Did she think I was being a 'playboy'? It wasn't fate's machine that made me feel this way for her it was her, just her. I was ready to devote my life to her and she turned me down. I guess that's what I get for my many infidelities from the past, but didn't she love me once too? I just don't know anymore._

"Of course Hitomi, I'll tell you the best way I can," he said hanging his head down. He'll have to tell her everything **but** how he still feels about her.

She smiled at him and continued to cradle him in her arms. In a way, the feeling was so right and fitting that she didn't want to move.

      _I'll bring her to Dryden's coronation. That way, she can be brought back to Van. She loves him and this'll be the way to compensate for my actions. I'll make this up to you Hitomi just you wait and see._

(Meanwhile in Fanelia)

      Van walked towards the courtyard where he was supposed to meet Merle. The previous conversation he had with the advisors somewhat upset him. Although it was against his wishes to marry right now, they had talked him into it. He was becoming weak and let himself be verbally baited by his own advisors. _Merle should be pleased with this, I'll let her help me figure out who it'll be, _he thought.     

      Van spotted Merle sitting by the fountain, playing with her tail. She was so carefree and innocent; she only wanted to see everyone happy, especially him. He walked up to her and his figure formed a shadow over her, blocking the sun. She looked up and almost squealed.

      "Van! How was it? What did they talk to you about?" she asked wide-eyed. Van sighed and smiled at her.

      "Actually, they talked to me about getting married again," he answered and Merle recoiled, expecting him to become angry. Sensing this, Van laughed.

      "Merle, don't worry I'm not angry. In fact, I've seen the light in their words. It's about time I started finding someone so they told me to start searching at the coronation tomorrow. Will you help me?" he asked. Merle was beyond shocked. Van agreed to getting married? This didn't seem possible. Hitomi was supposed to come back and be his bride. There was something wrong with this picture.

      "Of course I'll help you Lord Van!" she exclaimed despite herself.

      "Good, the tailors will be by your room at 10:00 tonight to fit you for your dress, okay? We'll be leaving tomorrow for Asturia at noon and we should be there about two hours before the ceremony starts so rest up," he said and he walked back out of the courtyard. Merle just stared at him in disbelief. It was one thing to actually leave the palace, and it was another to leave to look for a bride. Oh yes, King Van was taking very big steps indeed.

Author's note: I know I haven't updated in so long, but that WILL change, I'll be more efficient, I promise. As long as you guys review!


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